


So I Have These Feelings

by AKnightOfAGoodKing



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Boys Being Boys, Bromance, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Friendship, Insecurity, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25547026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing
Summary: Tristan talks to his friends about a certain dice lover.Prequel toTell Me How to Handle These Feelings[DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION]
Relationships: Honda Hiroto | Tristan Taylor & Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler, Honda Hiroto | Tristan Taylor/Otogi Ryuuji | Duke Devlin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	So I Have These Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> I sure love rare ships, lmao. Honestly, this feels like a Duke Devlin thing to do. Tristan isn't dumb, only when he's with Joey.

It was lunchtime, and the four of them were sitting on the rooftop as they do on occasion, especially when the weather was as great as it was today. There were white clouds in the sky, and the breeze was gentle and warm. It was a nice day all around. 

So, now seemed like a good time to ask for some advice. Luckily, groups stayed a good distance apart from each other, so there was very low risk of being eavesdropped. Besides, it was Tristan who needed help, and out of everyone in this group, he was the least interesting. 

(It couldn't be helped; Yūgi was _the_ King of Duels, Joey an up-and-coming duelist, and Téa one of the prettiest and most popular girls in school. Tristan was a footnote in the yearbook compared to them.)

"I think I have a crush on Duke Devlin," he said bluntly, wanting the initial shock over with. That was the first time he'd ever admitted this out loud, his cheeks growing a little pink. "But I don't know if I should do anything about it."

Joey reacted first; he let out a sigh of relief.

"That's one of the best news I've heard all month," the blond said, smiling widely as he placed an arm around his friend. "If you get with Duke, then that's killing two birds with one arrow." 

"It's two birds and one _stone_ , Joey," Téa corrected, shaking her head. "I didn't think simple idioms were too hard for you, but maybe I was wrong."

"Hey, what do you mean by that, Téa? Stone, arrow, same thing! If Duke and Tristan start dating, then I don't have to worry about either of them trying to date Serenity. Not that they had a chance. My little sister is too smart to go for a player or a punk."

"You're a punk too!" Tristan argued, pressing his head and shoulder against Joey's in a battle of strength. "Only an idiot could insult himself while making fun of others."

The blond pushed back, pulling that tough guy face of his, and the two got into another one of their squabbles. 

Yūgi giggled, smiling at them. "I think you should go for it, Tristan," he said. "You and Duke have gotten pretty close since Battle City. You two have been hanging out together a lot more since we got back from Egypt, right?"

Tristan pulled away from Joey, the blond ending up leaning too forward and early falling off his seat. "I guess you can say that," the brunette said, scratching his cheek. He shrugged. "It's pretty easy to be around him. He's always got something interesting to say."

"When did you start having feelings for him, Tristan?" Téa asked, curious. "Do you know?" 

"Maybe when he told my parents what he thought about me a few weeks ago. He was over for dinner again, and he just . . . He said I was a great friend to have and that anyone would be lucky to have me around."

"I could've told your folks that myself," Joey said, huffing. "Why haven't you fallen for me yet? Am I not good looking enough? Well, I'm sorry, not all of us can be charming and attractive and good with eyeliner like Duke Devlin." 

"Shut up, Joey. Duke's different, okay? He spoke very sincerely about me. My parents were grinning like crazy. You know they've always been worried about me getting into trouble."

"Yeah, they'd have a heart attack if they ever found out the truth."

Téa hummed. "I guess sometimes you can't pick and choose who you have feelings for," she said, almost knowingly. "You said 'again,' right, Tristan? I knew you have been hanging out a lot, but you invite him to dinners?"

"Yeah," Tristan said, nodding. "My parents and my sister are always telling me to. It's even gotten to the point that he's calling them Mom, Dad, big sister. My nephew, that brat, likes him too."

"So I'm guessing he hangs out in your room too, huh?"

"He stays a couple hours. Sometimes, he helps me out with homework, or we just play a couple games. Typically stuff."

Yūgi hummed. "What about outside of school and home?" he asked. 

"Yup. Last weekend, we went to see that reboot movie with the slime aliens and the purple trees. Duke invited me the moment the release date came out. Let me tell you, the reboot was just as bad as the original. It was great. We promised to go watch the next part when it comes out." Tristan smiled in memory of the movie, laughing to himself. 

Joey huffed. "Ha?" he said, crossing his arms. "Thanks for the invite, you knucklehead."

"Sorry, man. I was so excited for the thing and completely forgot about it until the Friday before. We didn't think about inviting other people until it was too late anyway."

"Well, don't forget me next time."

"Don't be jealous, Joey," Téa teased. "Tristan, you're sure you like Duke? Because you better be if you want to date him. His fanclub might chase after you and tear you apart. They're not something you can take on easily."

"They systemized the love letters he gets," Yūgi noted with a bit of amazement. "You have to reserve a specific time and day to make sure your letter is the only he finds in his locker."

Tristan glanced away from his friends, pressing his hand against his mouth. His cheeks darkened just a bit. He said something, but his words were too muffled to understand.

"Try again, buddy," Joey encouraged, confused. 

Tristan gave the blond a heat glare for a moment before his eyes flickered away again. "I _said_ ," he empathized with mild annoyance, "I like it when he calls me 'babe' and stuff like that. I just wish he means it though."

"He calls you _what?!_ " Joey nearly shouted, eyes wide. "When did _that_ start?" 

"Do guys just call each other that?" Téa asked with mild disbelief. 

Tristan huffed. "It started out as a joke," he explained. "We were just messing around, but he hasn't stopped. I, uh, never got around to telling him to. He only does it when it's just us."

Yūgi blinked. "Is there anything he does when it's _just_ you?" the king asked. 

"Just typical stuff."

" _Like?_ " Téa urged, leaning in close. 

Tristan mulled it over for a second before he replied. "He's always grabbing my hand when he wants me to check something out," he said slowly, blushing again, "and, uhm, he sometimes doesn't let go until I say something."

"That's definitely is a you and Duke thing," Joey commented. He paused, placing his chin between his index and thumb. "Huh." 

"Keep going, Tristan," the dancer said, looking at the blond carefully. Their eyes met, but neither said anymore.

"Uh, whenever he invites me out, he doesn't let me pay for anything," Tristan continued, "even for expensive things like the amusement park and the aquarium."

Yūgi raised an eyebrow. "You went to the amusement park _and_ the aquarium?" he asked. "Just the two of you?"

"Yeah. Duke drives so we can go almost anywhere. I feel bad about it sometimes. I try to do the same for him, but I can't really keep up with my allowance. I really hope the dinners make up for it. I don't want him to feel like I'm using him for his money or anything." 

"Has he ever complained about it?" Téa asked. 

"No. And what's worse is that he knows everything I want and buys them for me too! Like for my birthday, he got me that Seiko watch I'd wanted for the past year. The amount of money that guy can throw around makes my head spin."

"That, I'm actually jealous of," Joey said. "I'd like to have someone buy _me_ stuff."

Tristan let out a snort. "Try Kaiba. He's mega rich."

"No way! I'll _never_ take anything from him! I bet he's going to call it a hand out, that jerk."

"I'm sure if you ever need it though, he'd help," Yūgi said, laughing. "Kaiba can be pretty nice."

"Only you can see the good in everyone, Yūgi," Téa said. She turned back to Tristan. "Anything else that's just a you and Duke thing?" she asked. "Or another reason why you're sure you really like him?" 

Tristan mulled it over again. This time, a small smile was on his lips, and he was scratching his cheek again. "Sometimes, when we're hanging out in my room," he started, sounding as if he was regretting bringing this up but pushing through, "we take naps and share the bed." 

"You've done that before," Joey said. "Like during Battle City. You and me have done it plenty of time."

"You didn't let me finish. Like I said, we share the bed. And it's _really_ nice. When I wake up, I see his face right next to me and I think, 'I wish I could see this every morning. I want to kiss him. I wonder if his lips are as soft as they look. Oh, god, why is he so pretty?' Waking up next to him makes my heart skip a beat every time, and I really like that."

Tristan stopped there, taking in a deep breath. It was kind of embarrassing to say it out loud for the first time, but he knew he could trust his friends. He really needed to know what they thought, it was the first time he'd ever felt this strongly about someone. He'd liked a few girls, cute ones, but none of them was anything like Domino City's biggest dice lover. 

"So, what do you guys think?" he asked, getting back on track. 

His friends looked at him, and they were smiling.

"It sounds like you have more than just a crush on Duke, Tristan," Yūgi said first. "I think you should tell him."

"Me too," Téa added, nodding her head. 

"But," Tristan said slowly, "do you think I even have a chance?"

Joey frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked. 

"I mean, do you think he'd say yes to someone like me?"

The blond scowled, shoving his friend on the shoulder. "Of course!" Joey shouted, sounding agitated. "Why wouldn't he say yes?"

Tristan shoved back. "Well, if you haven't noticed, Joey, I'm not talented at anything like games or dancing or Duel Monsters like you guys. And I'm not the best looking guy in the school. We all know he has all the girls hot on his trails. He could literally pick anyone he wants, so why would he want to date me?"

"Oh, Tristan," Yūgi said, his big eyes expressing his disapproval, "don't say that. You're amazing in your own way! Anyone would be lucky to be loved by you! I know it, we all do." The king gave Tristan a big smile. "You're kind and sincere in everything you do. You give me strength, and I know I can always count on you."

"Yeah!" Joey agreed enthusiastically. "No way you're leftover pickings! Only a moron would think so, but that just means you're too good for them anyway. Duke will say yes, I bet my Red-Eyes on it!" 

Tristan was a little dumbfounded but encouraged. "Thanks," he said with a laugh.

Téa placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling too. "You don't have anything to worry about, Tristan," she said confidently, "because you two are already dating." 

"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked, confused. "We're not— How could— I never— _What?!_ "

The dancer let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I thought so. You were so worried about whether or not Duke would like you that you missed _all_ the signs." 

Tristan's eyes widened in shock. "What signs?" 

"Buddy," Joey said, looking at his friend like _he_ was the bigger idiot. "He buys you gifts, takes you out on dates, call you parents Mom and Dad, calls _you_ babe, holds your hand, _and_ shares the bed with you. What do you mean 'what signs'?! They were glaring at you right in the face!" 

"No way! You're saying it like it's so simple! Yūgi! Tell them they're wrong!"

The King of Games forced a laugh. "It does sound like Téa and Joey are right," he said, almost apologetically. "Try to think back. About something you or Duke said. Maybe something you thought was a joke, it might not have been for him."

Tristan thought it over. He and Duke made a lot of jokes with each other, they did get pretty close. And they talked about a lot of things like classes and friends. Even dating and what kind of person they liked—

_"If I was a girl, I'd definitely go out with you."_

_"You saying you wouldn't go out with me now?"_

_"Well, you're not bad once I got to know you, so I can see now that even as a guy, it'd be hard to say no to you. Oh, hey, I saw this new crepes vendor by the park yesterday. We should check it out."_

_"Sounds good. It's a date then."_

"Oh, god," Tristan said, horrified, and he buried his face in his hands. He felt the urge to dig a hole and bury himself, letting out a pain groan. 

He felt a small hand patting his back. "I guess it's congratulations," Téa said while Joey started laughing. 

Duke wondered what was up when he received a rather lackluster response from Tristan that afternoon, already been invited to dinner again. He was even more curious when he saw Joey and Yūgi giving the brunette thumbs up and big smiles which made Tristan's face flush so red. Téa just sighed, ushering her two friends out with a casual goodbye.

Now, ten minutes later and walking to the Taylor residence, neither teen shared more than a few words together. Enough was enough though, they were halfway home and if his friend wasn't in the mood, it'd be best for Duke to leave now rather than later. 

"Tristan," the raven said clearly. "What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

The brunette suddenly stopped, looking more hesitant, and he looked at his feet. "Hey, uh," he started out slowly, "how long have we been dating?" His cheeks were pink.

Duke blinked, stopping too. Then he smiled. "You finally noticed, haven't you?" he asked in return. He had been biding his time, though any longer, he'd have to change his strategy. "I'd count it as a little more than two months but no more than four."

Tristan groaned, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I never noticed til now."

"I'm glad you did eventually. So, what do you think? Do you want this?"

"I . . . I like you, Duke. A whole lot, I think. I want what we already have and more. I'd like to kiss you. If that's okay."

The game design chuckled, stepping right in front of the other boy. "I thought you'd never ask," he said with a sliver of truth. "Chin up, babe." 

Tristan did so, and Duke took him by the hands, leaning in closely. 

It was a soft kiss, lips pressing together with little pressure, and it was everything Duke thought it would be. He felt Tristan's warmth, growing warmer. When he pulled away, Tristan's face was flushed pink, a sweet and cute sight. 

"That," the brunette said slowly, "was nice."

Duke snorted, a laugh bursting out. That was a pretty anticlimactic response, but honestly, it was also pretty perfect. "So, Tristan," he said, smile sharp, "are you going to formally introduce me to Mom and Dad tonight?"

Tristan huffed. He bet Duke planned all of this from the very beginning, that sly fox. "Maybe," he said as a tease. "On one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"Kiss me again."

**Author's Note:**

> Tristan is a really good supporting character, I like him. And so I think Duke Devlin would spoil the shit out his lover? Yeah, yeah, I do. 
> 
> I had to think about whether this was post-series or not. I like Yami, but it feels more realistic if it happened after the Ceremonial Duel.


End file.
